Sermon Illustrations on Godliness

Education, Value of

Education is a blessing that cultivates virtue, intelligence, and grace in life.

Of all the blessings which it has pleased Providence to allow us to cultivate, there is not one which breathes a purer fragrance, or bears a heavenlier aspect, than education. It is a companion which no misfortunes can depress, no crime destroy, no enemy alienate, no despotism enslave; at home a friend, abroad an introduction; in solitude a solace, in society an ornament; it chastens vice; it guides virtue; it gives at once a grace and government to genius. Without it, what is man? A splendid slave, a reasoning savage, vacillating between the dignity of an intelligence derived from God and the degradations of passions participated with brutes, and, in the accident of their alternate ascendancy, shuddering at the terrors of an hereafter, or hugging the horrid hope of annihilation. Phillips.

God, no Respector of Persons

God values virtue and servitude over status, wealth, or freedom.

With God there is no free man but his servant, though in the galleys; no slave but the sinner, though in a palace; none noble but the virtuous, if never so basely descended; none rich but he that possesseth God, even in rags; none wise but he that is a fool to himself and the world; none happy but he whom the world pities. Let me be free, noble, rich, wise, happy, to God. Bp. Hall.

Godliness, Advantage of

Serving Christ yields a hundred-fold blessing, far outweighing any worldly loss.

A learned philosopher objected to religion, that, if he should adopt it, he should lose all he had in the world. A Christian friend said, no one ever lost any thing by serving Christ; and offered to give his bond to indemnify the philosopher for all losses, he should suffer on that account The bond was duly executed, and the philosopher became a praying man. Just before his death, he sent for his Christian friend, and gave him the paper, saying, "Take this bond, and tear it up. I release you from your promise. Jesus has made up to me a hundred-fold for all I ever did or suffered on his account. There is nothing left for you to pay. Tell everybody how true it is that there is great profit in serving Jesus."

Godliness

Godliness is shown by struggling to escape sin, unlike the unclean who remain in it.

GODLINESS Distinguishing. When the ungodly and the godly fall into the same sin, how can we distinguish between them? By a simple test, — a test by which you may know a sheep from a swine, when both have fallen into the same slough, and are, in fact, so beamed, that you can hardly tell the one from the other. The unclean animal, in circumstances agreeable to its nature, wallows in the mire; but the sheep (type of the godly) fills the air with its bleatings, nor ceases to struggle to get out. Dr. Guthrie.

Godliness, Exceptions to

Some obey God only when it suits them, revealing conditional and incomplete godliness.

Ajax seemed devout towards God so long as nothing was required of him contrary to his affections; but when he was commanded to spare Ulysses, — "In other things I will obey thee, but not in this thing," said he. So it is with the religion of many at the present day. Cawdray.

Godliness, Gain of

Godliness provides true comfort, healing, and eternal hope beyond what money can buy.

What is gain? The worldly man says money: the word of God says godliness. What can money do? Can it cure an aching head? Can it ease an aching heart? Can it scare away disease? Can it restore health to the sickly frame, or hope to the hopeless heart? Ah, no! It may purchase a softer pillow to nurse the pain; it may secure a more experienced physician to battle with the disease; it may find a sunnier dime, in which the wasted frame may pine and languish till it be laid to rest in its long home; but there the power of money ends. How is it with godliness? It cannot purchase the softer pillow. Yes, it can. It can place the aching head, the aching heart, on the pillow, — the soft, the downy pillow of contentment. "Father, not my will, but thine, be done." It can secure the services of the Great Physician and the balm of Gilead, — the hand that heals both soul and body. It can waft the wearied heart, that feels the pangs of suffering, the inroads of disease, or the approach of death, — that heart it can waft into the sunnier regions of eternal day; and, while the wasted body pines, the brightening spirit, hovering on the outskirts of heaven, tastes a peace that passeth all understanding, a joy unspeakable and full of glory. R. B. Nichol.

Godliness, Hatred of

Godly people are often mocked and misunderstood by the ungodly for their strange ways.

As the owl is hooted and wondered at among other birds; even so the godly are often made a gazing-stock and wonderment to the ungodly, because the course of godliness is most strange and foolish in their eyes. Cawdray.

Godliness, Heritage of

Believers can trust God as a Father who provides all things beneficial in this life and beyond.

As a son may assuredly trust that his father will do all things possible for his advantage; so may we, having Almighty God for our Father, assure ourselves that we shall lack nothing, either in this world or the world to come, that shall be profitable for us. Cawdray.

Godliness, Influence of

A godly life carries spiritual power and influence that impacts others profoundly.

John Smith, the Wesleyan preacher of England, was distinguished by no remarkable mental power or culture. The beginning of his ministry was a failure, which drove him nearer to Christ, till his power became akin to the miraculous. His presence carried the power of God with it. It was claimed, that, when he entered an audience, an additional spiritual influence could be felt. His word was with power. His life was power, because he walked with God. Rev. Benjamin Abbott was a man of like power, whose influence could only be ascribed to his godliness.

Godliness, Merchandise of

Godliness is a valuable trade that yields eternal riches, not temporary worldly gain.

A merchant in a single morning will make a hundred pounds, while poor men work hard for a shilling. The voice of Nature is, "How shall we come to be rich?" Prize the trade of godliness. Works of morality are like the laboring man; but godliness is a full merchant's trade, that brings in hundreds and thousands at a clap. Such a trade would God have us set our hearts upon. As Cleopatra said to Marcus Antonius, it was not for him to fish for gudgeons, but for towns, forts, and castles; so it is not for the godly to be trading for transitory trash, but for eternal life, glory, and immortality. Spencer.

Godliness, Need of

True godliness is necessary for our offerings to be acceptable to God.

Before the coming of Christ, sacrifices, to be acceptable, were, by God's command, to be seasoned with salt, else the Lord would not allow them: so, unless we be seasoned with the salt of true godliness, we, and all our doings, shall be unsavory to the Lord. Cawdray.

Godliness, Profit of

Though godliness may cost worldly things, it results in losing sin and gaining lasting spiritual benefits.

There dwelt an old and prosperous couple near London, of whom a charity was asked, to which the wife replied, "Why, sir, we have lost a deal by religion since we first began: my husband knows that very well. Have we not, Thomas?" After a solemn pause, Thomas answered, "Yes, Mary, we have. Before I got religion, Mary, I had an old slouched hat, a tattered coat, and mended shoes and stockings; but I have lost them long ago. And, Mary, you know, that, poor as I was, I had a habit of getting drunk, and quarrelling with you; and that you know I have lost. And then I had a hardened conscience, and wicked heart, and ten thousand guilty fears; but all are lost, completely lost, and, like a millstone, cast into the deepest sea. And, Mary, you have been a loser too, though not so great a loser as myself. Before we got religion, Mary, you had a washing-tray, in which you washed for hire; but since then you have lost your washing-tray. And you had a gown and bonnet much the worse for wear; but you have lost them long ago. And you had many an aching heart concerning me at times; but these you happily have lost. And I could even wish that you had lost as much as I have lost; for what we lose for religion will be an everlasting gain."

Godliness, Power of

Godly people may seem weak in the world but are strong in their relationship with God.

As the panther has four claws, and no more, on each foot behind, but five claws, and no less, on each foot before; so the godly, though they be weak worldward, yet are they strong Godward.

— Cowdray

Godliness, Superiority of

Godliness secures pardon and promises beyond riches or friends.

Suppose a man, sentenced to death, and cast into prison, sends for one of his friends to sue the king for pardon. He answers that he cannot, but will give him a winding-sheet and a coffin. He sends to another, who can do no more than to see him buried. But a third goes to the king, and gets a pardon for him. Riches is the first, friends the second, godliness the third, which gets us a pardon for our sins, and a promise of both this life and that to come.

— Spencer

Goodness, Superiority of

True godliness matters more than outward prosperity or appearance before God.

When a wealthy merchant bragged to Lycon, a wise philosopher, of the multitude of his ships, and his extensive trade, he answered, “I esteem not that to be felicity which hangs upon ropes and cables.” When a man is at the last cast, it is true piety, and not prosperity, that shall stand a man in stead. The smoke of a great man’s sacrifice smells never the sweeter before God because he is clothed with silk, or, like the bird of paradise, adorned with plumes and feathers. No: it is the inside that God regards. Spencer.

Great Men, Origin of

Many great men came from humble origins, showing God can raise anyone for His purposes.

Columbus was the son of a weaver, and a weaver himself. Cervantes was a common soldier. Homer was the son of a small farmer. Molière was the son of a tapestry-maker. Demosthenes was the son of a cutler. Terence was a slave. Oliver Cromwell was the son of a London brewer. Howard was an apprentice to a grocer. Franklin was a journeyman printer, and son of a tallow-chandler and soap-boiler. Dr. Thomas, Bishop of Worcester, was the son of a linen-draper. Daniel Defoe was a hostler, and son of a butcher. Whitefield was the son of an innkeeper at Gloucester. Virgil was the son of a porter. Horace was the son of a shopkeeper. Shakspeare was the son of a wood-stapler. Milton was the son of a money-scrivener. Robert Burns was a ploughman in Ayrshire. Mohammed, called the prophet, was a driver of asses. Mohamiet Ali was a barber. Madame Bernadotte was a washerwoman of Paris. Napoleon, descendant of an obscure family of Corsica, was a major when he married Josephine, the daughter of a tobacconist Creole of Martinique. Gen. Escartero was a vestry clerk. Bolivar was a druggist. Vasco de Gama was a sailor. John Jacob Astor once sold apples in the streets of New York. Catherine, Empress of Russia, was a camp-grisette. Cincinnatus was ploughing in his vineyard when the dictatorship of Rome was offered him. Elihu Burritt was a blacksmith. Abraham Lincoln was a rail-splitter. Gen. Grant was a tanner. Com. Vanderbilt was a ferryman. Daniel Drew was a poor widow's son. Senator Wilson was a cobbler. Gen. Banks says that he graduated at a university which had a waterwheel at the bottom, and a bell on the top.

Greatness, Divine

True greatness belongs to God alone, not to any human, as Massillon declared.

When Massillon, one of the greatest divines France ever knew, was called to preach the funeral-sermon of the departed king, in the cathedral at Paris, before the reigning king, the royal family, the Chambers, and the grandees of France, he took with him to the sacred desk a little golden urn containing a lock of hair of the late king. The immense congregation was seated, and the silence of death reigned. Massillon arose, holding the urn in his fingers; his hand resting upon the sacred cushion. All eyes were instantly fixed upon him. Moments, minutes, passed. Massillon stood motionless, pale as a statue. The feeling became intense. Many believed he was struck dumb before the august assembly; many sighed and groaned aloud; many eyes were suffused with tears; when the hand of Massillon was seen slowly raising the little golden urn, his eyes fixed upon the king. As the hand was returned to the sacred cushion, the loud and solemn voice of Massillon was heard in every part of the cathedral, "God alone is great!" So I say to you to-day, "There is no human greatness: God alone is great!" G. C. Cookman.

Learning, and Godliness

Godliness in learned men produces more excellent fruit than the same grace in unlearned men.

As a diamond set in gold is far more brilliant than if incased in base metal; so godliness planted in learned men's breasts brings forth more excellent fruit than the same grace in unlearned men. Cawdray.

Obligation, Universal

Religious obligations are universal, binding all men to righteousness beyond church membership.

All the great duties of a Christian life are no more incumbent upon Christians than upon other men; for men are bound to be and do right on the religious scale of rectitude, not because they are Christians, but because they are men. Religious obligations took hold of us when we were born. They waited for us as the air did. They have their sources back of volition, back of consciousness, just as attraction has. Though a man declares himself an atheist, it in no way alters his obligations. Right and wrong do not spring from the nature of the church. Obligation lies deeper than that. The church is a mere organization to help a man fulfil his duties: it is not the source from whence those duties sprang. It is as much the worldling's duty to love God and obey his laws as the Christian's. Beecher.

Quietness, Necessity of

Psalms 46:10

Restlessness hinders godliness; stillness and knowing God bring contentment.

There is a restlessness and a fretfulness in these days, which stand like two granite walls against godliness. Contentment is almost necessary to godliness, and godliness is absolutely necessary to contentment. A very restless man will never be a very godly, and a very godly man will never be a very restless man. "Be still, and know that I am God."

Scriptures, Influence of the

The Bible's presence and reading empower nations and individuals with spiritual strength and victory.

Father Hyacinthe, an eloquent and fearless Roman-Catholic priest in Paris, while recently preaching a charity-sermon in Lyons, in behalf of the asylum for the poor, having asked his audience, which was composed of the principal Roman-Catholic families, if they knew why Prussia triumphed on the field of battle in the war with Austria, said, "It is because the nation is more enlightened, more religious, and because every Prussian soldier has the Bible in his knapsack. I will add, that what produces the power and superiority of Protestant peoples is, that they possess and read the Bible at their own firesides. I have been twice in England, and have learned that the Bible is the strength of that nation."

Tax, Legend of the Devil and the

King Edward saw evil in unjust taxation and restored money to its rightful owners.

A large sum of money having been collected by Edward, king and saint, for the tribute called Danegelt, it was conveyed to the palace, and the king was called to see it. At the sight thereof, he started back, exclaiming, that he beheld a demon dancing upon the money, and rejoicing. Thereupon, he commanded that the gold should be restored to its owners, and released his subjects from that grievous tribute.

— Mrs. Jameson

Of Dr. Ames

Reading the Bible is essential for true eloquence and understanding of pure language.

Fisher Ames, a distinguished American statesman and orator, who died in 1809, was ardently attached to the Bible. He lamented its prevailing disuse in schools, and thought that children should be well acquainted with it, both on account of the all-important truths it contains, and because they would thus learn the English language in its purity. He was accustomed to say, "I will hazard the assertion, that no man ever did, or ever will, become truly eloquent, without being a constant reader of the Bible, and an admirer of the purity and sublimity of its language."

The Pope And His Ambassador

Good manners reflect godly humility even in positions of authority.

It is related of Pope Clement XIV, (Ganganelli,) that when he ascended the papal chair, the ambassadors of the several states represented at his court waited on him with their congratulations. When they were introduced and bowed, he returned the compliment by bowing also; on which the master of the ceremonies told his highness that he should not have returned their salute. "O, I beg your pardon," said the good pontiff, I have not been pope long enough to forget good manners."

Louis Xiv And His Anecdote

Better to spoil a story than to cause distress to a worthy person.

Louis the XIVth, in a gay party at Versailles, thought he perceived an opportunity of relating a facetious story. He commenced, but ended the tale abruptly and insipidly. One of the company soon after leaving the room, the king said, "I am sure you must all have observed how very uninteresting my anecdote was. I did not recollect till I began, that the turn of the narrative reflected very severely on the immediate ancestor of the prince, or Armigue, who has just quitted us; and on this, as on every occasion, I think it far better to spoil a good story, than distress a worthy man."

Unfashionable Bow

Respect and good manners should be shown to all, regardless of social status.

When Sir William Johnson returned the salute of a negro who had bowed to him, he was reminded that he had done what was very unfashionable. “Perhaps so,” said Sir William, “but I would not be outdone in good manners by a negro.”

# DULITY.

readily, “The church believes what I believe.” The other, desirous, if possible, to bring him to particulars, once more resumed his inquiry. “Tell me, then, I pray you, what it is which you and the church both believe.” The only answer the collier could give was, “Why, truly, sir, the church and I both—believe the same thing.”

# 115. Cruelty Exemplified.

Landlady'S Gift To Admiral Colpoys

A landlady's gift of a Bible encouraged a young sailor's lifelong godly devotion.

Admiral Colpoys, who rose to that high station as the effect of his meritorious exertions, used to be fond of relating, that on first leaving an humble lodging to join his ship, as a midshipman, his landlady presented him with a Bible and

### 376. ROBBER

GODLINESS—No Burden to True Saints

True godliness is a delight and not a burden to the born-again believer.

THE Princess Elizabeth carried the crown for her sister in the procession at Mary's coronation, and complained to Noailles of its great weight. "Be patient," was the adroit answer, "it will seem lighter when on your own head." The outward forms of godliness are as burdensome to an unregenerate man as was the crown to the princess; but let him be born again and so made a possessor of the good things of divine grace, and they will sit easily enough upon his head, as his glory and delight.

Woman’S Strength

Women often display remarkable physical strength and endurance despite hardships.

There is no physical reason why a woman should be more feeble or diseased than a man. Stanley was furnished with two hundred negro women to carry his stuff into the interior of Africa, and he found them the best porters he had employed, altho he felt very doubtful about accepting their services when first proposed. The Mexican Indian woman is able to carry her household goods on her back with two or three babies on top when a change of location is desirable. Meanwhile her husband trudges bravely along carrying his gun. On the continent of Europe most of the heavy work is done by women. In Vienna women and dogs are frequently hitched together, and sometimes a woman is yoked with a cow to draw a load of produce to the city. Many of these peasant women will carry upon their heads a load of vegetables that few American men could easily lift. These women have the muscles of the waist and trunk thoroughly developed. Despite their hardships, they do not suffer from the backache or displacements, or other ailments which the women who dress fashionably are constantly afflicted with.--_Phrenological Journal._

Nehemiah's Example

Nehemiah's example:

Genuine concern.

a. He wept. (General Booth tells discouraged leader, "Try tears!")

b. He mourned certain days.

c. He fasted.

d. He prayed.

=====================

from www.yateleybaptist.com:

Nehemiah's Prayer in a Crisis:

a. Appeal to God’s character (1:5)

b. Accept responsibility for sin (1:6-7)

c. Claim God’s promises (1:8-10)

d. Call for success (1:11)

Questions to think about:

1. What sorts of situations might we want to pray this sort of prayer? Are we facing any today? If so, what?

2. Why are we not bolder in our praying, more like Nehemiah?

________

www.yateleybaptist.com

"People God Uses: Qualities That Bear Fruit"

John 10

In the Bible, godliness always refers to a person's reverent, devout, pious,

obedient response to God. It is lived out through actions, words, thoughts,

and attitudes which are honoring to him simply because of who he is.

1. Josiah: Igniting a flame for God.

2. Oswald Chambers: Giving his utmost for the Highest.

Friends said he truly lived life. He was often criticized for his

conviction that Jesus' words, "Give to everyone who asks," meant

exactly that. He often gave his last coin to beggars. "My duty is

plain - to obey the command of God and give to everyone that asks.

What the recipient may do with it is not my concern." He never

attached strings to the gospel or tried to trap listeners with free

food, etc. After he died, his wife refused to accept any money for

the book she had written about him.

3. Betsie ten Boom: Peacemaker through prayer. [see #2861]

4. Susannah Wesley: Molder of great men.

She started a Bible study in her home that soon attracted 200 even

though many of her neighbors and friends disapproved. She

singlehandedly homeschooled her 19 children, teaching them reading,

writing, Scripture, and the Christian disciplines. More important

than her instruction was her example. She was continually aware of

God's demand for holiness. "Religion is nothing else than the doing

of the will of God, and not our own.... Since the grand impediment

to our temporal and eternal happiness is self-will, no indulgences

of it can be trivial, no denial of it unprofitable."

She was stern, but her disciplines molded two sons who founded

Methodism. The very name "Methodist" refers to a carefully

methodical approach to the spiritual life that John and Charles had

learned to a great extent from their mother. Because of her model

of consistency in obeying God's will - even in little things - a

revival of personal holiness began with her family and spread

throughout the world.

#2854

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The Hand That Rocks the Cradle: the Influence of Godly Mothers

John 19:26

Around Mother's Day we hear the old saying, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." But is that true? Well, here are three examples of mothers with great influence, from the book MOMS WHO CHANGED THE WORLD by Lindsey O'Connor.

Augustine was a fourth-century scholar who is considered one of the greatest thinkers of all times. He was born under Roman rule in what is now Algeria. His Christian mother, Monica, was married to a pagan who lived an immoral lifestyle. Even so, she gained a reputation as a peacemaker and counselor in turbulent times.

At 23, Monica had her firstborn, Augustine, and she dedicated her life to raising him as a Christian. Despite their pagan culture, Monica won her husband to Christ just before his death, and her mother-in- law as well.

Augustine was 17 when his father died and he was sent to the University at Carthage for a classical education. But Carthage was a decadent place, and he wallowed in carnal pleasures. Monica cried and continually prayed for his soul. When Augustine did come to faith, years later, Monica rejoiced and told him her work was done. One week later she died.

Augustine, who went on to become a great saint of the Church, wrote this prayer: "My mother, Your faithful servant, wept to You for me, shedding more tears for my spiritual death than others shed for the bodily death of a son. You heard her."

Amy Carmichael was born in 1867, oldest of seven, raised in a comfortable home in Northern Ireland. Her family prayed daily and read the Scriptures. Amy's mother, Catherine, taught her children to pray, and she taught them the value of small acts of kindness, sending them with hot soup to the village poor.

When Amy's father died, they lost everything, but Catherine trusted the Lord. In 1892, Amy felt God calling her to India, saying, "Go, ye." Though sad to see her daughter leave, Catherine wrote God "has lent you to me all these years. I can trust you to Him, and I do..... Go, ye." Amy, though in a wheelchair, went, and became one of the great missionaries, poets, and hymn writers of the Christian Church.

George Washington, "father of his country," was a Christian gentleman, of whom Thomas Jefferson said, "He was, indeed, in every sense of the word, a wise, a good, and a great man." George's father died when the boy was just 11, but a Christian mother, Mary Ball Washington, molded his character with Bible reading, and with CONTEMPLATIONS MORAL AND DIVINE by Sir Matthew Hale.

He wrote later: "All that I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her."

So what did Monica, Catherine, and Mary have in common? They saw motherhood as a mission from God, and they immersed their children in the Bible and prayer, and never gave up on them. They taught them morals, and to care for the less fortunate, and they loved them unselfishly.

In times like these, we need to remember that God looks with favor on mothers who nurture small hearts and minds, and train up children to impact our world. What profession, and what job, is more important than that? For truly, a mother's work has eternal consequences.

___________________

(untitled)

I wish I knew the name of

this little boy. He was writing in the West

Virginia Hospital News... and he was writing on the subject "What is

a person?" Here is what he said: "When you are a person your head is kinda round and hard and your brains are in it and your hair is on it. Your

face is in the front of your head where you eat and make faces. Your neck is

what keeps your head out of your collar... it's hard to keep clean. "Your shoulders are sort of shelves where you hook your suspenders on them.

Your stomach is something that if you don't eat often it hurts... and

spinach don't help none. "Your spine is a long bone in your back that is

always behind you no matter how quick you turn around. Your arms you got to have to

pitch with and so you can reach the butter. "Your fingers stick out of your

hands so you can throw a curve, or add up arithmetic. Your legs are what you

run on and your toes are what always get stubbed. "And that's all there is of

you, except what's inside... .and I never saw it."

Any Regrets?

It is no secret that health in old age depends largely on the reserve strength laid by in youth, and wisdom in old age depends on the knowledge and experience stored by in the past. By the same token, if we would have spiritual peace and satisfaction in old age we must pave the way for it in youth. I have never heard of an aged person who was sorry for having lived a God-fearing life, and I have never heard of a godless old person who was satisfied with having spent a lifetime in sin.

________

Paul E. Holdcraft, CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press), p. 11

How Do You Find A Man To Lead Men?

Mark 10:42

Want to mobilize your men for missions and ministry but don't have a men's ministry organized? Begin by finding that one man God has in mind to lead.

Most championship teams have had one thing in common: a man at the head of the team superbly able to motivate and manage players. These men molded others into winners. They shaped an environment in which players worked and won together.

If you are going to develop a lasting men's ministry in your church, it starts with leadership. Nothing significant in ministry -- for that matter, in life -- happens without leadership. It will be difficult for your ministry to go forward until you have a man willing to be the primary leader for your men's ministry.

How can you identify the leader of your team? He may be in place already. He should be passionate about men's ministry. He needs to have a clear vision of where God is going and of the incredible spiritual harvest before us. He also needs to possess leadership skills or at least a willingness to learn.

A potential leader for the men's ministries of your church should exemplify these five qualities:

SERVANT SPIRIT -- In Mark 10:42-45 Jesus shared with his disciples the key element in spiritual leadership. He told them that the way up is down, that the person who will lead is the one who will serve. Our society is obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder and upward mobility. Jesus said those who will lead in the Kingdom of God will be obsessed with descending the ladder, downscaling, spiritual demotions and downward mobility. Those who lead will be servants to all.

CHARACTER -- It is a man's character that counts. Men of character drive real ministry. A great passage on leadership is 1 Samuel 16:7. God told Samuel not to look at a man's outward appearance. God looks at the heart. This is a key principle for selecting a leader.

GODLINESS -- The greatest gift a leader can give the men of your church is their personal holiness. Nothing is more important in leading other men to Christ than a vital, authentic relationship with Jesus. Men today want the real thing, not secondhand religion.

PASSION -- A leader who has passion is enthusiastic about what he is doing, one who eagerly anticipates the next time he meets for men's ministry. He loves what he is doing and is thankful that God has provided the gifts and the incredible privilege of serving him.

GIFTEDNESS -- Every man is gifted, but you must make sure the man who would lead your men's ministry is gifted as a leader. A leader has the abilities to develop a vision and to get others involved to make that vision a reality.

____________

Adapted from “Drawing Men to God: Men's Ministry Manual,” published by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #10844]

Politics of Inegrity

I saw an interesting political cartoon the other day in the paper. John Tower was on the witness stand and was asked: "What would you do if we rejected your nomination on the grounds that you're a boozing womanizer?"

His reply: "Move to Massachusetts and run for the U.S. Senate."

While acceptable moral standards may vary from state to state, the standards of moral conduct have never changed with God.

Wellspring of Godliness

Psalms 92

Wellspring Of Godliness

Read: Psalm 92

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. --Psalm 92:1

When we consistently thank God from our hearts, we become more godly. This thought came to me while I was reading a letter from an elderly pastor friend whom I have known for more than 40 years. He marveled at the goodness of the Lord to him--a fruitful ministry into his eighties, a wonderful marriage for more than 60 years, a loving family, and a host of friends, many of whom became believers through his witness. Looking back over his life, he said, "I don't know if I am finishing well, but I am finishing thankful." I told him I believe that anyone who finishes life thankful, finishes well.

I am convinced that genuine thankfulness is the wellspring of godliness. People who truly see their unworthiness of God's favor and are filled with gratitude to the Lord for His goodness, mercy, and grace to them cannot be proud, discontented, selfish, unforgiving, or hateful.

If we daily reflect on all that the Lord has done for us, we will become thankful people. And thankful people become godly people. Indeed, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High" (Ps. 92:1). --HVL

Give me a spirit of thankfulness, Lord,

For numberless blessings given,

Blessings that daily come to me

Like dewdrops falling from heaven. --Dawe

Gratitude to God leads to growth in godliness. Sent By God

Reputation Versus Character

Ruth 3:11

Reputation Versus Character:

The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation, the truth you believe determines your character.

Reputation is what you are supposed to be; character is what you are.

Reputation is the photographer; character is the face.

Reputation comes over one from without; character grows from within.

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; character is what you have when you go away.

Your reputation is learned in an hour; your character does not come to light for a year.

Reputation is made in a moment: character is built in a lifetime.

Reputation grows like a mushroom; character grows like the oak.

Reputation goes like the mist; character lasts like eternity.

A single newspaper report gives you your reputation; a life of toil gives you your character.

Reputation makes you rich or pour; character makes you happy or makes you miserable.

Reputation may determine your epitaph: character is what you are in the sight of God.

The church and entertainment

The church has gone into the entertainment business! People must be amused, and as the church needs the people’s money, the church must supply the demand and meet the craving! How else are godless hypocrites to be held together? So the picture show and entertainment … take the place of the gospel address and the solemn worship of God. And, thus, Christless souls are lulled to sleep and made to feel “religious” while gratifying every carnal desire under the sanction of the sham called the church! And the end? What an awakening [in eternity]!

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Dr. Harry A. Ironside told of visiting a godly Irishman, Andrew Frazer, who had come to southern California to recover from a serious illness. Though quite weak, he opened his worn Bible and began expounding the deep truths of God in a way that Ironside had never heard before. Ironside was so moved by Frazer's words that he asked him, "Where did you get these things? Could you tell me where I could find a book that would open them up to me? Did you learn them in some seminary or college?" The sickly man gave an answer that Ironside said he would never forget.

"My dear young man, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me I used to kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul and to open the Word to my heart. He taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world."

Created To Become Like Christ

Genesis 1:26

You were created to become like Christ.

From the very beginning, God's plan has been to make you like his Son, Jesus. This is your destiny and the third purpose of your life. God announced this intention at creation: "Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image and likeness'" (Genesis 1:26 NCV).

In all of creation, only human beings are made "in God's image." This is a great privilege and gives us dignity. We don't know all this phrase covers, but we do know some of the aspects it includes: Like God, we are spiritual beings -- our spirits are immortal and will outlast our earthly bodies; we are intellectual -- we can think, reason and solve problems; like God, we are relational -- we can give and receive real love; and we have a moral consciousness -- we can discern right from wrong, which makes us accountable to God.

The Bible says that all people, not just believers, possess part of the image of God; that is why murder and abortion are wrong. But the image is incomplete and has been damaged and distorted by sin. So God sent Jesus on a mission to restore the full image we had lost. What does the full "image and likeness" of God look like? It looks like Jesus Christ!

People often use the phrase "like father, like son" to refer to family resemblance. When people see my likeness in my kids, it pleases me. God wants his children to bear his image and likeness, too.

Let me be absolutely clear: You will never become God, or even a god. That prideful lie is Satan's oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, "you shall be as gods." Many religions and New Age philosophies still promote this old lie that we are divine or can become gods.

This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future and people around us. But as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn't want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly -- taking on his values, attitudes and character. We are meant to "take on an entirely new way of life -- a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you" (Ephesians 4:22, Message Bible).

God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn't want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.

God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the beatitudes of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, the apostle Paul's great chapter on love, and Peter's list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life. Every time you forget that character is one of God's purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You'll wonder, "Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?" One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow. Remember, earth is not heaven!

Many Christians misinterpret Jesus' promise of the "abundant life" to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer. In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on earth.

This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality.

Never forget that life is not about you. You exist for God's purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he's planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and strengthen our character for heaven.

Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. Referring to this process, Paul said, "This will continue until we are ... mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him" (Ephesians 4:13 CEV). The Bible is clear that it takes the work of the Holy Spirit within us, using truth, troubles, time and even temptation, to make us like Christ.

You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won't be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns.

Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than he is anything else. We worry when God seems silent on specific issues such as, "What career should I choose?" The truth is, there are many different careers that could be in God's will for your life. What God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do in a Christlike manner.

God is far more interested in what you are than in what you do. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career.

The Bible warns, "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.... Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you" (Romans 12:2, Message Bible).

You must make a counter-culture decision to focus on becoming more like Jesus. Otherwise, other forces like peers, parents, co-workers and culture will try to mold you into their image.

Sadly, a quick review of many popular Christian books reveals that many believers have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship. Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like himself before he takes us to heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.

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Living With God

Psalms 15:1

Living with God « Leader information shown in this fashion »

1 O LORD, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. Psalms 15:1-2 (NAS)

A. What are some of the truths that we recognize about the way that we can have salvation?

1. Titus 3:5

a. « not by our righteous works »

b. « by God’s mercy »

c. « by the cleansing of the new birth; not baptism, for … »

d. « by the renewed (spiritual) life given by the Holy Spirit »

2. Ephesians 2:8–9

a. « by the grace of God, exercise of His favour not our merit »

b. « it is realized through faith »

c. « it does not come from ourselves; it is God’s gift »

d. « not of works »

3. so we tend to avoid anything that smacks of self-righteousness

B. But what does God expect of those who seek to live with Him?

1. from this Psalm, verses 1 and 2

a. « a walk of integrity — or uprightly, honestly, consistently »

b. « works righteousness; now that we are God’s children, we are capable of doing acts that are just and righteous »

c. « speaking truth — our words and our works agree »

2. Titus 3:8 « — careful in maintaining good works »

3. Ephesians 2:10 « — doing the works God has set for us to do »

C. How do we, still beset by our old nature, do these things?

1. Romans 8:26 « — prayer in the Spirit who intercedes for us »

2. I John 1:5-9 « — confession to renew our walk of fellowship »

3. what a privilege, then, it is as God’s children, to allow Him to work in our lives, so that we are fit to live with Him!

Using the Bible In Discipleship and Worship

John 5:39

Some time ago I visited a church in another town; it was a pleasant service, with pretty music and a brief but impassioned sermon. The service concluded with the congregants embracing and encouraging each other.

After the service, I eyed the hundred or so adults who exited the sanctuary. Something about the service had made me curious, and my suspicion was validated: I saw a total of only about 15 Bibles in their hands.

The pastor’s sermon had raised this suspicion. Halfway through it, I realized that he had not made a single reference to Scripture. In fact, he never mentioned the name of Christ during the entire service. The sermon had revolved around encouraging the flock to think about how they might live their lives according to their own definitions of right and wrong. It was a moral-sounding sermon, but it had not centered upon the Word of God.

This church was not Baptist, but I had a similar experience a few months later at a large Southern Baptist church. This time the worship was lively and the songs contained Scripture. The sermon was expository, proceeding clause by clause through the passage. It was, in fact, one of the best biblical sermons I’d heard in recent memory.

I left that service feeling invigorated, until I noticed something as I walked through the parking lot: almost no one carried a Bible. I realized that even my host, a minister with a parachurch organization, hadn’t bothered to bring his Bible with him. There was no reason to open the Word and read it for oneself: the Scripture passages had been flashed on the sanctuary wall. We had spent an hour hearing God’s Word, but the congregation had been passive consumers in nicely padded seats, not active readers and worshippers of Christ. They had instead been entertained; it was a pleasurable experience, but the service had not caused people to dig into God’s Word.

Worship should glorify Christ. We are not worshipping the Bible when we give it prominence; we are underscoring that God’s revealed Word is the authority under which we live and through which we know Christ. Intimacy with Scripture is central to intimacy with Christ Himself.

Intimacy is not a passive quality; it requires us to “do” something, to pursue a relationship. James 1:22-24 implies this dynamic state: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”

This exhortation reminds us that “doers” are changed by God’s Word and not merely passively entertained. Nowhere is this concept more important than in Bible study and worship. When those of us who are teachers and preachers allow people to be passive in their use of the Bible, then we are in direct violation of our responsibilities as leaders.

We should take a regular inventory of our teaching and preaching to see if we are encouraging an active use of the Bible. A visual check is simple: Are Bibles present and open in people’s laps, with pens in-hand and in-use? An auditory check is helpful as well: When a Scripture reference is called out, can pages be heard turning to the appropriate passage? When additional Scriptures are cited, can an immediate rush of page-turning be heard throughout the room?

If these checks provide disappointing feedback, it is easy to encourage active use of the Bible. Stop printing entire Scripture passages on outlines or Powerpoint slides; instead, provide Bibles for those who did not bring a copy and indicate the page number of the passages in that Bible. This will encourage those who are not familiar with finding passages with an easy way of finding the passage without allowing them to be passive. In fact, I would recommend placing a prominent sticker on these Bibles encouraging people to take them home and return them the following week. Additionally, these Bibles could have the plan of salvation pasted in them or even several brief devotionals that lead the person to study the Bible during that week.

We should encourage our Bible study classes and our worshippers to read the passages out loud through responsive readings. We should encourage them to sing Scripture in song. We should pray prayers that include appropriate verses. In short, Bible studies and worship services should drip with active uses of God’s Word.

When we are “hearers” alone, we are passive and do not allow God’s changing grace to work through our lives. When we are “doers” in study and worship, we cannot help but to allow God’s love to overflow into every aspect of our lives, including our relationships with others.

Once upon a time in our churches, we said that there was nothing more intimidating to the forces of hell than an open Bible in the hands of a godly man or woman. We need to stop allowing people to sit with their Bibles absent or closed, for without an open Bible, there is no way to be a godly person.

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Gene C. Fant Jr. is the acting dean of the college of arts and sciences at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. He is a Sunday School teacher at West Jackson Baptist Church and also serves as a supply preacher.

To the Desert

1 Timothy 6:12

The story is told of a third-century Christian monk, Abba Agathon, who lived alone in the Egyptian desert:

One day Agathon was going to town. On the roadside, he met a man with paralyzed legs who asked him where he was going.

“To town, to sell some things,” Agathon answered.

The crippled man replied, “Do me the favor of carrying me there.”

So Agathon carried him to town. When they arrived, the man said, “Put me down where you sell your wares.” After Agathon sold something, the man asked, “For how much did you sell it?” Agathon told him. The man said, “Buy me some food.” Agathon did.

When Agathon had sold all his wares and was preparing to leave, the man asked, “Will you do me the favor of carrying me back to the place where you found me?” Agathon picked him up and carried him back to that place.

As the monk prepared to leave him, the man said, “Agathon, you are filled with divine blessings, in heaven and on earth.”

Raising his eyes, Agathon saw not a crippled man, but an angel of the Lord.

Tall tale? Perhaps. The story comes from “Sayings of the Desert Fathers,” a compilation of maxims and legends attributed to some of the earliest Christian hermits and mystics. They went to the deserts of Sinai, Palestine and other places in the Holy Land, partly to escape the corruption of the cities -- but mostly to seek God and do battle with the temptation in their own hearts.

Some of them became unhinged after years alone in the desert. Some were fools. But they were holy fools. Another story about Agathon:

Several monks came to find him in his solitary cell, having heard of his great discernment. Wanting to see if he would lose his temper, they asked, “Aren’t you that Agathon who is said to be a sinner and a proud man?”

“Yes, it is very true,” he answered.

“Aren’t you that Agathon who is always talking nonsense?” they asked.

“I am.”

Again they said, “Aren’t you Agathon the heretic?”

“I am not a heretic,” he instantly shot back.

“Tell us why you accepted everything we cast at you, but repudiated this last insult,” they asked.

He replied, “The first accusations I take to myself, for that is good for my soul. But heresy is separation from God. I have no wish to be separated from God.” They were astonished at his discernment and returned home, edified.

That’s about as complicated as the theology of the early desert monks gets. They didn’t talk much.

“A monk ought not to inquire how this one acts or how that one lives,” advises another saying. “Questions like this take us away from prayer and draw us on to backbiting and chatter. There is nothing better than to keep silent.”

Here is a complete sermon from Abba Paul (died around A.D. 415): “Keep close to Jesus.”

What significance do the voices of a few ancient hermits have for our frenetic lives? The answer to that question may lie in another question: If they felt compelled to seek holiness in the wilderness, long ages before the countless distractions of modern life, what about us? We, too, need to seek God in the desert -- the desert within our hearts. That’s where most spiritual battles are fought.

The Apostle Paul’s admonition to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) has “nothing external about it at all,” writes Andree Seu. “You will never see someone ‘fight the good fight of the faith.’ It all happened when you weren’t there, alone on a long country walk, just between him and the Lord. That’s where the blood and sweat and dying occurred. By the time you spotted the fellow out in public -- in the visible battlefield ... pushing away some lucrative job offer or not leaving his wife -- the heavy lifting was already done.”

The same applies to the battles that decide whether whole nations and peoples will hear the Gospel. The big, history-changing spiritual struggles begin in prayer. The strongholds of darkness are defeated by people on their knees. Will a gifted young person pursue a prestigious career or serve in a place most folks have never heard of? Will a potentially great church commit itself to reaching the lost or continue playing it safe?

And always, silent skirmishes rage within each soul. Will you serve Christ today, or will you serve your own desires? “If there is no constant battle, there is probably no authentic life,” Seu contends. “The battle can be joyful, but it is a battle.”

The desert monks understood that.

Speakers Talk Man-to-man About Need For Integrity

1 Peter 1:13

(EDITORS' NOTE: Promise Keepers, the Colorado-based evangelical organization founded by former University of Colorado, Boulder, football coach Bill McCartney, has become an American cultural phenomenon. Almost 280,000 men attended Promise Keepers stadium rallies in 1994; the number is expected to more than double this year. The organization also sanctions smaller events such as the recent “Men of Integrity: Talking Man to Man” gathering, which took place at an industrial park in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.)

Talking man to men, Texas preacher Thomas Oglesby fired both barrels at a warehouse full of adult males in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. “If you piloted an airplane the way you take care of your family,” he said, “hundreds of people would die.” A sorrowful voice in the audience responded, “I know that's right.” If men did their jobs the way they take care of their families, Oglesby continued, they'd get fired. “Your family ought to be the cause for which you're willing to fight and give it all,” said Oglesby, pastor of South Jefferson Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Texas.

He told the men that many of their wives were at home praying, “God, get hold of his heart today. Make him come home a man!” Give up the bass boat, Oglesby exhorted. Give up the hunting, give up the sports and take care of the family. “There's bad stuff out there. You're the man -- you've got to lead them through it.”

Approximately 1,600 men from at least six states gathered in the cavernous warehouse to hear Oglesby and four other speakers in February give guidance and encouragement on standing up for God and for their families. The “Men of Integrity: Let's Talk Man to Man” conference was sparked by men from Poplar Bluff who attended Promise Keepers stadium rallies last year in Denton and Irving, Texas. One was David Groves, pastor of Living Word Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff.

After the second rally, Groves recalled, he and a colleague were pondering author Henry Blackaby's advice in the book, “Experiencing God.” Blackaby urges Christians to find out where God is working and join him. “We said, 'What does it take -- a truck to hit us? He's working with men!'“ Groves exclaimed. He and others began to plan a men's meeting in Poplar Bluff. Interest spread like an unquenchable fire and they quickly realized no local church was big enough to accommodate it.

Speaker Harry Walls III, pastor of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church, Wellston, Mo., remarked on the setting as he looked out on men of all ages camped on folding chairs, some watching him on video screens. “What do they call this -- the industrial tabernacle or something?” Not that he minded. “We need to fill a few warehouses -- amen?” Walls told of attending the first big Promise Keepers stadium rally in 1993 in Boulder, Colo. He said his wife used to be a weeper but now she's a reaper because he's a Promise Keeper.

But the focus of Promise Keepers is not on gathering by the tens of thousands, Walls noted. It is on each individual man. “If we get together like this and sing and shout and the walls stay up in our hearts, we're wasting our time.” Citing 1 Peter 1:13-16, Walls pointed out a godly man strives for purity in every aspect of his life, including sexual purity. “We all struggle with that, if we're going to be honest,” Walls said. “We're supposed to be talking man to man, right?”

Sexual impurity -- whether impure thoughts or temptations or actions -- is at epidemic proportions because our culture has lowered the standard of holiness, Walls argued. “We've been told so much is all right, we've bought into it.” But 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 holds Christian men to a higher standard. “I do know God,” Walls said, “and I don't want to act like someone who doesn't.” God made women so attractive and then told men to be pure, Walls said ruefully.

But even though men are tempted they don't have to give in to sin. “The change agents are us. The way to make things better is to stop complaining and follow God.” He outlined an approach called P.A.G.E., with the letters signifying:

• PARTNERSHIPS IN PRAYER. A man needs another man to grow with him in prayer. Start praying for such a man, Walls advised, to take advantage of the promise of Proverbs 27:17, that iron sharpens iron.

• ACCEPTANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. “God loves us enough to accept us as we are,” Walls said. “He loves us too much to leave us that way.”

• GROWTH IN GODLINESS. All men have the promise that God has begun a good work in them, Walls noted, and the work will carry on until Christ returns.

• EXCITEMENT IN EVANGELISM. When a man knows he is becoming a better husband, father, pastor and his soul cries, “Hallelujah!” Walls said, he will realize, “I've got to tell somebody!”

Phil Hunter, pastor of West County Community Church in St. Louis, set the plain-speaking tone of the event in his opening sermon when he affirmed men coming together for worship and fellowship. “If you're trying to walk the Christian life alone, you're a fool!” he stated. “Life is full of heartaches,” Hunter pointed out. They either make a man bitter or better. He said he wouldn't trade for the heartaches he's endured -- they thrust him to the floor and made him cry out to God.

Using his young son's science book, Hunter reminded the men of the amazing system God put in place when making the universe. “God is awesome! To think that we struggle to put God in charge of our life!” Hunter predicted that many men would want to go home from the conference and tell their wives, “I've not been loving you as Christ loves me -- forgive me.” Men would want to confess to their children they had been provoking them to anger, and again ask forgiveness.

A man cannot live the Christian life without inviting Jesus in, Hunter concluded. “The way to have a Savior is to make him Lord.” From the podium, Groves instructed the men to break into groups of four and to give one-minute testimonies. Then Groves urged any man who realized he didn't have a testimony to stand up and go forward. “If you're a man and you need God, you ought to be man enough to stand up for him.” About a half-dozen men went forward and prayed to receive Christ.

The key to being a Promise Keeper, Phil Evans told the gathering, is to decide there is nothing more important than being a godly man. “God is our model as a Promise Keeper.” Evans, a layman from West County Community Church, is co-chairman of the Promise Keepers Task Force of St. Louis. He emphasized men need to reach across the barriers of race and denomination. “Do you love Jesus Christ? That's what's important.” Challenging the group at Poplar Bluff to set in motion a plan of action, Evans asked them to imagine millions of men praying, modeling godliness, instructing others. “MEN, TIME IS SHORT. LET'S ANSWER THE CALL.”

Pastor Bob AuBuchon was one of 18 men from Trinity Church, Willow Springs, to attend the meeting in Poplar Bluff. “My main goal is to have Christ exalted in the life of the men of my church,” he said. In turn, those men can influence their families and their communities. After four years of trying without success to get the men more involved, AuBuchon is excited that Promise Keepers has lit a fire in them. “It's been everything I've prayed for -- so far.”

David Hardin of Dexter, Mo., said he was saved six months ago. “I came in here feeling bad and I've got life in me now,” said Hardin, who attends Lighthouse Baptist Church. “You get so many people going in the same direction, you can't help it.” Promise Keepers calls itself a “catalytic ministry.” What effect it will have on America is only beginning to be seen. The 1,600 men who gathered that Saturday in the “industrial tabernacle” consumed sack lunches and received ample helpings of food for thought. No doubt many took an inventory of promises they have been failing to keep.

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